The Browns were pretty much done with winning after Brian Hoyer blew out a knee.

Hoyer, in turn, is done talking in public until he heals.

Hoyer would know as well as anyone what makes Tom Brady tick, but he waved off a question Wednesday.

"Everybody knows how good he is," Hoyer said in the Browns' locker room. "You don't need to hear me say anything."

Hoyer hung around Brady for three years as a backup quarterback in New England. Thanks largely to Brady, he has a Super Bowl ring and an NFL education that helped him bring the Browns to life in September.

December is here, and there is nothing Hoyer can do to help the Browns pull off a miracle Sunday in New England against a quarterback for the ages.

Maybe defensive coordinator Ray Horton can come up with something.

In the last four regular seasons, Brady has lost a grand total of three games at home. One was in his 2012 home opener, against an Arizona team whose defensive coordinator was Horton.

"It's important to know (the Browns') defensive style, and where it all comes from," Brady said. "I know (Horton) came from Pittsburgh, so there's some influence there.

"They're like fourth or fifth in all the defensive categories ... really good."

In Sunday's game against the 36-year-old QB, Cleveland will be using one of four quarterbacks, maybe Alex Tanney, who was playing at Monmouth in 2011.

Brady started going to Super Bowls in 2001.

Tanney would make his first NFL start. His claim to fame as an NCAA Division III QB was making a trick-passing video. It has attracted 3.8 million YouTube hits since he posted it in 2011.

"I haven't seen it," Brady said. "I will look it up."

It is amazing that so many scouts saw so little in Brady, who was taken by the Patriots at No. 199 overall in 2000.

Belichick soon realized what a steal he had. After Brady watched and learned behind former No. 1 overall pick Drew Bledsoe in 2000, he replaced an injured Bledsoe early in 2001. After Bledsoe healed, Belichick stuck with Brady.

Five trips to the Super Bowl later, the standing question is, what would Belichick be without Brady, and vice versa? Both of them can laugh all the way to the Hall of Fame about the answer.

By now, the former Browns head coach and the quarterback the Browns passed in favor of Spergon Wynn are old friends. They will be 10-3 if they win Sunday, in the hunt for the No. 1 postseason seed.

Brady says Belichick isn't the sourpuss he seemed when he was in Cleveland.

"I've seen different sides of him for a long time," Brady said. "We've got a great relationship.

Page 2 of 2 - "He's got some great jokes, yes. They're not appropriate to tell my young children, but they're good jokes."

Brady's stunning success plays like a cruel joke in Cleveland, where quarterbacks are changed more often than light bulbs. The team is 0-1 in postseasons since Belichick's playoff year of 1994.

Brady's winning percentage as a starter is .775, best among active quarterbacks by a lot (Peyton Manning is next at .695).

He is No. 1 all-time with 17 playoff wins, one more than Joe Montana.

Rob Chudzinski marvels at the man.

"It all starts with Tom Brady, one of the best in the game, one of the best that's ever played," the Browns' head coach said. "It's amazing. He has new faces around him and is still able to produce the way he has throughout his career.

"He makes plays in critical situations and finds ways to win."

Another thing about Brady: He almost always plays.

While the Browns are scrambling to make a plan with Hoyer out and Brandon Weeden and Jason Campbell concussed, Brady has been bullet-proof.

In 10 of the last 11 seasons, including the last five in a row, he has never missed a start.